Multiple string manual operated elevator



Nov. 29, 1966 c. c. BROWN 3,287,776

MULTIPLE STRING MANUAL OPERATED ELEVATOR Filed Jan. l5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 9, 1966 c. c. BROWN 3,287,775

MULTIPLE STRING MANUAL OPERATED ELEvAToR Filed Jan. l5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,287,776 MULTIPLE STRING MANUAL OPERATED ELEVATOR Cicero C. Brown, 8490 Katy Road, Houston, Tex. Filed Jan. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 337,442 14 Claims. (Cl. 24-81) The present invention relates to a manual operated elevator for supporting at least three pipes from a traveling block for running or removal of three or more pipes simultaneously into and from a single well bore.

The usual elevator device now in common -use on well vdrilling rigs includes a hinged or pivo-ted jaw element which is adapted to encircle a Well pipe when in operating position. In such devices the jaw elements must be manually guided into position around the pipe and must be manually latched and unlatched to engage and disengage the pipes. This manual latching and unlatching of the jaw elements is done by the derrick man stationed in the upper end of the well derrick and one of the workmen on the oor wherein the elevator is actually engaged and disengaged from the well pipes during the running or removal of pipe strings into and from the well bore.

During recent years with the advent of multiple completions in a single well bore, it has become desirable to provide an elevator which will simultaneously support three or more pipe strings during the running or removal of such pipe strings into and from the well bore. It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an elevator device for engaging at least three pipe strings which extend therefrom in parallel relationship and can be run simultaneously into and removed from a single well bore.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a manual operated elevator device which will engage at least three pipes extending therethrough in parallel relationship at any level on such pipes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a manual operated elevator to engage at least three pipes extending therethrough in parallel relationship with the pipes being spaced suliciently close to each other in such elevator to allow the pipes to be simultaneously run into and removed from a single well bore.

The construction designed to carry ou-t the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and byreference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein examples of the invention are shown, and wherein:

FIGURE l is a plan view of one form of an elevator device constructed in accordance with lthe invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the elevator device disclosed in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3 3 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a par-tial sectional view taken along line 4 4 in FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of another form of `an elevator device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation view of the elevator device shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view of the gripping elements of the device shown in FIGURE 5 and taken along line 7 7 in FIGURE 5.

Referring more in detail to elevator 10 as illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4, it includes body 11 having arms 11a and 11b and a central portion 11c and jaws 12 and 13 which are pivota'lly mounted to body 11 by hinge pins 14 and 15. Body 11 is provided with lingers 16 and 3,287,776 Patented Nov. 29, 1966 17 and recesses 18 and 19 which are engaged by latch mechanisms 20 and 21 on jaws 12 .and 13, respectively. Latch mechanisms 20 and 21 are pivotally mounted to jaws 12 and 13 as shown and are provided with actuating handles 22 and 23 for manual latching and unlatching of the jaws to the body whereby the latch mechanisms engage the lingers and recesses on the body as shown in the lower portion of FIGURE l.

Arms 11a and 11b are provided at each end with suitable lifting lugs 24 and 25 for engagement with eyebolts, bales or links 26 and 27 as is clearly shown in FIGURE 2.

Adjoining portions of body 11 and jaws 12 and 13 are provided with complementary recesses which form pipe receiving opening 28. A typical portion of one of these recesses has been shown in FIGURE 3 wherein it can be seen that inner surface 29 is tapered and provided with a threaded hole to receive bolt 30 which extends through a slot 30a in the slip 31 allowing slip 31 to move up and down within recess 28 in engagemen-t with surface 29. The vertical movement of slip 31 is thus seen to result in a radial movement of slip 31 by virtue of the slope of surface 29. Thus, when slip 31 is moved downwardly along surface 29 it will also move inwardly and thereby engage a pipe which is positioned within opening 28. It should be noted that slips 31 are made in segmental -form and `as shown in FIGURE l two slips 31 would be installed in jaw 12 and two slips 31 would be installed in body 11 around a single opening 28. 4

Bolt 32 .is threaded into the upper end of each of slips 31 and extends down through a slot 32a in actuator plate 33 into threaded engagement with slip 31.

Actuator plates 33 are formed in segments and are hinged about pins 33a, 33b positioned directly over pins 14 and 15. Segments 34 and 35 of actuator plate 33 are secured to body 11 and jaw segments 36 and 37 of actuator plate 33 are secured to jaws 12 and 13, respectively, `as hereinafter more fully described.

FIGURE 3 best illustrates the connection between actuator plate 33 and body 11. As shown in FIGURE 3 this connection is typical of all of the connections of actuator plate 33 to body 11 and to jaws 12 and 13. Body 11 is drilled as at 38 to receive pin 39 the upper end 'of which is secured to act-uator plate 33 by any suitable manner, for example, threading as shown in FIG- URE 3. Body 11 is also bored concentrically with hole 38 at 40 to receive spring 41. Spring 41 therefore surrounds pin 39 and seats on the shoulder formed between bore 4l) and hole 38 at its lower end and against the under side of actuator plate 33 at its upper end. It

should be noted that hole 38 is suiticiently deep to allow movement ofv pin 39 downwardly therein when a force is exerted downwardly on actuator plate 33 which compresses spring 41.

Dogs 42 are mounted in the body segments 34 and 35 and the jaw segments 36 and 37 of actuator plate 33 as best shown in FIGURE 4. As shown in FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 4 suitable recesses 43 are provided in segmentsA 34, 35, 36 and 37 of actuator pla-te 33 `and bolts 44 extend through the slot 45 in dog 42. The width of the slot 45 is less than the width across the head of bolt 44. Spring 46 is positioned within recess 43 and engages dogs 42 to urge dogs in a direction whereby teeth 47 on dogs 42 will engage a pipe extending through opening 28.

As best shown in FIGURE 4 the closing of jaws 12 or 13 with a pipe positioned within the recess 28 will cause teeth 47 of dogs 42 to engage the pipe and when body 11 is lifted the segments of actuator plate 33 will receive the weight of the pipe being lifted. This weight will cornpress springs 41 causing slips 31 to move down on surface 29 whereby slips 31 will firmly engage the pipe positioned therein. This downward and radial movement of slips 31 is possible since bolt 32 is positioned within slot 32a in plate 33 and bolt 30 is positioned within the slot 30a in slips 31.

Release of a pipe which :is engaged within opening 28 is accomplished by unlatching the jaw which forms a part of the recess in which the pipe is engaged and swinging the jaw away from the body 11. This will allow ,the teeth of slips 31 and teeth 47 on dogs 42 to be moved out of engagement with the pipe. The springs 41 will move the segments'of actuator plate 33 upwardly as soon as teeth 47 are moved from the pipe thereby causing slips 31 to be raised upwardly and move radially outward within opening 28. In this position the pipe will be free of engagement with elevator 10.

As illustrated in FIGURES through 7 elevator 48 is provided with a body 49 having a central portion 49a and arms 51 forming a cross with pipe receiving opening 50 fonmed in the spaces between adjoining arms 51 of body 49 and in the adjoining surface of jaws 52 when jaw 52 is positioned between two of arms 51. i Each of the jaws 52 is povoted at one end by one of the pins 53 extending through arms 51 and is provided with ears 54 which are engaged by a latching mechanism 55 to secu-re jaws 52 in position between adjacent arms 51 and to complete the remaining portion of opening 50. Latch mechanisms 55 are pivoted about pins 53 and extend into the space between ears 54 to engage jaws 52 with wing nut 56 tightening on the threads of latch mechanism 55 to firmly engage jaws 52 between arms 51.

As shown in FIGURE 6 the pins 53 are provided with nuts 57 to engage the lower side of body 49 and extend upwardly through arms 51, jaws 52 and latch mechanism 55 and a substantial distance above body 49 where they are secured to lifting plate 58 by nuts 59. Lifting plate 58 is provided with a suitable connection 60 which may be a swivel connection for attachment to the traveling block used in a derrick.

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view taken on line 7--7 in FIGURE 5 and is typical of any section taken through the slips 61 which are secured as shown to jaws 52 and to body 49. Around opening 50 body 49 and jaws 52 arejprovided with an upwardly and outwardly sloping dove-tail slot 62 in which a similarly shaped projection extending from slips 61 is engaged. Recess 63 is provided in jaw 52 behind slot 62 and spring 64 is positioned therein and has its upper end engaging a finger 65 which extends from the back of slip 61. Cover plate 66 is secured to jaw 52 by screw 67 and is positioned above finger 65 to provide an upper stop for the upward movement of slip 61 responsive to Vthe force exerted on inger 65 by spring 64.

When a pipe is positioned within opening 50, jaws 52 closed and wing nut 56 tightened on latch mechanism 55,

slips ,61 in jaws l52 and in body 49 will engage thepipe positioned therein. Lifting the elevator 48 will tend to move the slips downwardly and because of the slope of dovetail slot 62 this downward force resulting from the Weight of pipe being lifted will cause slips 61 to ytend to move downwardly and inwardly into tighter engagement with the pipe thereby assuring a firm grip on the pipe.

In both forms of the device shown in the drawings Ithe jaws are positioned between arms and are manually secured and released from engagement with the body. Both elevators also provide for the engagement of at least three pipes which extend in parallel relationship to each other and such pipes are positioned suiiiciently close to each other to be run or removed as a unit from a single well bore. If desired, additional pipe receiving openings may beprovided in both fonms of the present invention by a slight modiiication of the body structure. For example, in FIGURE l, six pipes could be accommodated by separating each of the two openings 28 a short distance apart and providing a Vthird opening 28 on each side of body 11 therebetween and spaced at approximately the same radial distance from the center of central portion 11e of body 11 as the other openings 28. Such openings would also have their complementary recesses in the jaws 12 and 13. In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 5 additional pipe receiving openings 50 may be readily added by changing the configuration of the body 49 to have additional arms. Such arms should be equally spaced and may be live or six in number. As in the case with the form shown in FIGURE l the addition of pipe receiving 4openings in the form shown in FIGURE 5 will cause each of the openings lto be a slightly greater distance from the center .of the body 49 but in such cases the tubing strings will be sutdciently closely spaced to be run into a single well bore. l

From the foregoing it can be seen that the present invention provides a manual operated elevator handling at least three pipes at the same time and will support such pipes in close spaced parallel relationship allowing the pipes to be run into and remove-d from a single well bore. The elevators of the present invention include a body having arms or jaws with pipe receiving openings formed by complementary recesses Iin the jaws and in the body between the arms. Such openings have spring loaded gripping means to provide engagement with a pipe extending therethrough.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the method, las well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1. An elevator for handling a well pipe, said elevator having a body, a plurality of jaw members pivotally connected to said body, means latching said jaw members to said body, there being pipe receiving openings formed by adjoining complementary receses in said body and said jaw members, v pipe engaging means mounted in said openings, and spring means urging said pipe engaging means in a direction away from engagement with a pipe extending through said openings. 2. An elevator device for handling four well pipes including a body having a central portion and a plurality of arms extending Itherefrom, a plurality of jaw members,

means pivotally securing one end of each of said jaw members to said body,

there being four pipe receiving openings in adjacent walls of said body and said jaw members, said pipe receiving openings being formed by complementary recesses in said body and said jaw members, said complementary recesses'in said body being positioned near the juncture of said arms and said central portion, and v a plurality of pipe gripping elements positioned in each of said pipe receiving openings. 3. An `elevator device according to claim 2 including, spring means urging said pipe gripping elements in an upward direction whereby engagementof a pipe by said pipe gripping elements and an upward movement of the elevator will cause said elements to move downwardly and inwardly within said opening into tighter gripping engagement with said pipe. 4. An elevator device according to claim 3 including, means limiting the upward movement of said pipe gripping elements responsive to the urging of said spring means. 5. An elevator devicefor including,

a body having a central portion and four arms extendying therefrom whereby said body is cross-shaped,

handling four well pipes.

four jaw members each pivotally secured at one end to the outer extremity of one of said arms and latched at their other end to another of said arms whereby said jaw members each closes the opening between adjacent arms of said body,

there 'being four pipe receiving openings in said body and said jaw members,

there being a recess through said body at each intersection of said arms with said central portion,

there being complementary recesses through said jaw members completing said recesses through said body to form the said four pipe receiving openings through said device, and

a plurality of pipe gripping elements in each of said pipe receiving openings.

6. An elevator device for handling four well pipes including,

a body having a central portion and two arms extending therefrom at opposite ends of said central portion,

two jaw members pivotally secured at one end to said body,

means latching the other end of said jaw members to said body,

there being four pipe receiving openings in adjacent walls of said body and said jaw members,

said openings being formed by complementary recesses in said jaw members and in said body near the juncture of said arms with said central portion of said body,

a plurality of pipe gripping elements in each of said pipe receiving openings.

7. An elevator device for handling at least three well pipes including,

a body having a central portion and two arms extending from said central portion,

two jaw members positioned one on each side of said body,

each one of said jaw members being positioned adjacent said body in engagement with one side of two of said arms,

means pivotally securing one end of each of said jaw members to said body,

means releasably latching said jaw members to said body,

there being at least three pipe receiving openings in adjacent walls of said body and said jaw members, and

pipe gripping members mounted in each of said pipe receiving openings,

each side of said body deiines at least two recesses and each of said jaw members defines at least two recesses complementary to said recesses in said body and said recesses define said pipe receiving openings.

8. An elevator device for handling at least three well pipes including,

a body having a Central portion and four arms extending therefrom and equally spaced thereabout whereby said body is cross-shaped,

a plurality of jaw members,

each one of said jaw members being positioned adjacent said body in engagement with one side of two of said arms,

said body and said jaw members defining complementary recesses,

means pivotally securing one end of each of said jaw members to said body,

means releasably latching said jaw members to said body,

there being four pipe receiving openings in adjacent walls of said body and said jaw members,

the complementary recesses deined by said body and said jaw members forming said pipe receiving openings which are positioned at the internal corners formed by said arms, and

10 said pipe engaging means comprises,

a plurality of movable pipe gripping slips, two of which are mounted in said body and at least one of which is mounted in said jaws around each of said openings.

11. An elevator device for handling at least three well pipes, including a body having a central por-tion,

a first jaw member disposed on one side of the body,

means pivotally securing one end of said irst jaw member to the body at a point offset from said central portion to permit swinging of said first jaw member toward and away from said body,

a second jaw member disposed on that side of the body opposite the side on which said rst jaw member is located,

means pivotally securing one end of the second jaw member to the body at a point offset from Isaid central portion to permit swinging of said sec-ond jaw member toward and away from said body,

means for releasably latching the free end of said first jaw member to the body to secure said first jaw member in position adjacent said body,

means for releasably latching the free end of said second jaw member to the body to secure said second jaw member in position adjacent said body,

-said body having .at leas-t one recess in each side adjacent each jaw member when the jaw member is in latched position,

each jaw member having a complementary recess coacting with said recess in the body t-o form a pipe receiving opening between the jaw member and said body, and

pipe supporting means mounted in each pipe receiving opening for supporting a pipe extending therethrough.

12. An elevator device for handling at least three well pipes, including a body,

a plurality of jaw members,

means pivotally securing one end of each of said jaw members to said body, l

means releasably latching said jaw members to said body,

there being at lea-st three pipe receiving openings in adjacent walls of said body and said jaw member, and

each of .said jaw members being independently movable with respect to said body,

pipe gripping members mounted in each of said pipe receiving openings,

the latching of said jaw members adapted to move said pipe gripping members into pipe Igripping engagement with pipes positioned in said pipe receivmg opemngs.

13. An elevator device according to claim 12, wherein ysaid body includes a central portion `and a plurality of arms extending therefrom, and

each one of said jaw members being positioned adjacent said body in engagement with one side of two of said arms.

14. An elevator device according to claim 12, wherein two arms extended from said central porti-on of said body, and

two jaw members are positioned one on each side of said body.

(References on following page) 7 8 References Cited by the Examiner 1,844,379 2/ 1932 Campbell 294--90 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3096075 7/1963 Brown' 534,345 2/1895 Nilsson. FOREIGN PATENTS 1,150,870 8/1915 Lincom 173-167 X 5 2181823 7/1924 Great Entam- 1,706,214 3/1929 Davidson.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 1,731,128 10/19279 Edwards.

D. A. GRIFFIN, Examirzer. 

11. AN ELEVATOR DEVICE FOR HANDLING AT LEAST THREE WELL PIPES, INCLUDING A BODY HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION, A FIRST JAW MEMBER DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF THE BODY, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING ONE END OF SAID FIRST JAW MEMBER TO THE BODY AT A POINT OFFSET FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION TO PERMIT SWINGING OF SAID FIRST JAW MEMBER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID BODY, A SECOND JAW MEMBER DISPOSED ON THAT SIDE OF THE BODY OPPOSITE THE SIDE ON WHICH SAID FIRST JAW MEMBER IS LOCATED, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING ONE END OF THE SECOND JAW MEMBER TO THE BODY AT A POINT OFFSET FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION TO PERMIT SWINGING OF SAID SECOND JAW MEMBER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID BODY, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LATCHING THE FREE END OF SAID FIRST JAW MEMBER TO THE BODY TO SECURE SAID FIRST JAW MEMBER IN POSITION ADJACENT SAID BODY, 